Investigation Needed into Trump's Pay-to-Play No-Bid Lincoln Memorial Contract

As your constituent, I urge you to investigate the no-bid contract awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings for Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool repairs—a $14.7 million transaction that reveals systemic failures in government procurement and accountability. The Interior Department bypassed competitive bidding to award this contract to a small Virginia firm after President Trump claimed he selected it because it repaired a pool at one of his golf clubs. He later denied knowing the company. Taxpayers are now paying for work that was fundamentally defective. The blue waterproof coating began peeling within two days of completion. Rather than acknowledge installation failures, Interior Department officials falsely told federal prosecutors that damage resulted from vandalism. This deception led to the wrongful indictment of David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, on felony charges. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has now moved to dismiss those charges after discovering the contractor's work was defective from the start. Critical questions demand answers: How was Atlantic Industrial Coatings selected without competitive bidding? What communications occurred between administration officials and the company? Why did Interior Department leadership publicly insist the damage was vandalism, misleading prosecutors? Will there be consequences for these false statements? The administration also awarded a no-bid contract for "nanobubbler" water-purification devices—which were removed before a UFC event, contributing to an algae bloom. I urge you to: Demand a full audit of all no-bid contracts awarded by Interior since January 2025 Require transparency on contractor selection, cost analyses, and any Trump family business connections Investigate the misleading statements made to federal prosecutors Examine whether no-bid contracts are being used systematically to steer federal dollars to politically connected firms Federal procurement rules exist to prevent favoritism and protect taxpayers. When those rules are abandoned without justification, democratic institutions are undermined. Thank you for your commitment to accountability.